1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel (PDP), and more particularly, to a PDP having a decreased discharge voltage and improved discharge efficiency.
2. Discussion of the Background
Display apparatuses such as PDPs are widely used. PDPs may have excellent characteristics such as high image quality and a wide viewing angle. Further, they may be made very thin and light weight, and they can be easily manufactured to have large-sized screens.
Generally, PDPs may be classified as direct current (DC) PDPs, alternating current (AC) PDPs, and hybrid PDPs depending on applied discharge voltage characteristics and discharge cell structure. Further, they may also be classified as opposing discharge PDPs and surface-discharge PDPs depending on discharge electrode structures. An AC PDP having a three-electrode surface-discharge structure is often utilized.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional AC three-electrode surface-discharge PDP 100.
Referring to FIG. 1, the PDP 100 may include an upper panel 110 and a lower panel 120. The upper panel 110 may have a front substrate 111, common electrodes 112, which are formed on a lower surface of the front substrate 111, scanning electrodes 113, which form discharge gaps in cooperation with the common electrodes 112, a first dielectric layer 114 covering the common electrodes 112 and the scanning electrodes 113, and a protective layer 115 covering the first dielectric layer 114. The lower panel 120 may have a rear substrate 121, address electrodes 122, which are disposed on the rear substrate 121 extending in a direction intersecting the common electrodes 112 and the scanning electrodes 113, a second dielectric layer 123 covering the address electrodes 122, partition walls 128, which are formed on an upper surface of the second dielectric layer 123 and define discharge cells 125, fluorescent layers 126 formed inside the discharge cells 125, and a discharge gas (not shown) filled within the discharge cells 125.
In such a conventional PDP, the scanning and common electrodes 113, 112, the dielectric layer 114, and the protective layer 115 may absorb approximately 40% of the otherwise visible rays emitted from the fluorescent layers 126, thereby decreasing light emission efficiency.
Further, charged particles in the discharge cells 125 may diffuse toward the electrode as well as the partition walls 128 due to an electric field. Charged particles that collide with the partition walls 128 may not participate in a gas discharge. Consequently, the PDP's discharge efficiency may decrease.